Thank you Deutsche Bahn for making me chuckle...

The German Rail high speed trains, or ICEs (Inter City Express) as they're locally known, are rather impressive, and go rather fast... and in every 2nd class carriage they have changing LCD displays, in English & Deutsch, to inform passengers of important things such as the current speed (especially when it hits 300kms/hr), the date and time, up coming stations, and helpful reminders to not forget bags and umbrellas, etc...

but last week, on arriving at the Frankfurt Airport station (on the Munich to Dortmund train), the display said:

"We are pleased to take leave of our guests."

Brilliant Things About Germany No.225

It is very easy, and perfectly legal to buy clinical contact lenses over the internet.

Without a prescription. And for cheaper than what you pay for the "gap" (ie. the bit not covered by private Australian health insurances).

I am sure that this would not be considered 'brilliant' by optitricians anywhere, but from where I am 'looking', it is pretty damn convienient.

Full Moon?

Well, we're back from Oz, over the jet-lag and (almost) back into the routine (that we'd never really mastered in the first place).

The Caspi-Man didn't sleep well last night. He hadn't really eaten much of his dinner,and protested loudly when denied copious quantities of 'bedtime' lollies. He declined a 'bed-time' milk, sulked through his bed-time story, and accused me of being a"BAD, BAD MUMMY" in lieu of a bed-time kiss. (The Ger-Man tried to be supportive with all this- in a calm, germanic, pragmatic manner greatly assisted, methinks, by his being in a 5 star hotel in Munich, where presumably, "bed-time" chocolates are provided on the pillow in lieu of lollies.)

Two hours into his slumber time, (& two minutes after I'd slid into a much anticipated, and needed bubble bath), the Caspi-Man woke, and immediately protested very loudly, that he was still hungry. Very HUNGRY!!! STARVING!!!! In fact, "REALLY, REALLY, STAAARVIIING!!!!!!!!!" I resigned myself to leaving the warm, fragrant water, and decided I did not have the strength to present the "Milk or nothing" option I usually reserve for such occasions, and made the Caspi-Man some toast. Toast, of which, he only had the smallest nibble before declaring himself "Very, very full!" and drifting back to dream time. ..IN MY BED.

Two hours later, & a mere two minutes after I'd slid into a much anticipated, and needed dream time state of my own, the Caspi-Man woke,and immediately protested very loudly, that he was still hungry. Very HUNGRY!!! STARVING!!!! In fact, "REALLY, REALLY, STAAARVIIING!!!!!!!!!" I decided I did not have the strength to do anything other than present the "Milk or nothing" option (usually reserved for such occasions) and then spent pretty much all of the next half hour standing (lying???) by my convictions, untill weariness overtook me and I realised my only hope of getting some decent shut eye was to find some contraband child sedative cook the Caspi-Man some pasta and hope that glutenous starches would take their toll.

Sleep prevailed, infact, we even slept in... and had to rush to get to kindergarten on time. (We were somewhat further delayed by the Caspi-Man being hungry before breakfast, a hunger that apparently only lollies could sate, and the Caspi-Man held out, refusing to even entertain any other feasible option, except maybe, pancakes. Being sleep deprived, and weak, I actually agreed to make him pancakes, with maple syrup (ie. liquid lollies) ... he ate two, and then we hastily threw on jackets and hurried to kindergarten, already very late.

Our route takes us past a bakery. A bakery that sells a croissant-shaped, cake type bread called a "Butter Hörnchen".

"I'm hungry." says the Caspi-Man.

"You've just breakfast!" I say.

"But I'm very HUNGRY!!!" says the Caspi-Man. "I'm STARVING!!!!"

"You can eat your Frühstück Brot as soon as you get to Kindy, then." I say, wondering at this point if he needs to be wormed.

"But I'm REALLY, REALLY, STAAARVIIING, for a Butter Hornchen, RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!" screams the Caspi-Man.

"No." I say, quite firmly, while thinking perhaps I WILL worm him...

"YOU ARE A BAD, BAD MAMA!!" screams the Caspi-Man. "Ich HABE GROSS HUNGER!!!!!"
he wails, and there may even be tears, and lots of people are staring at him, and then at me, and I can feel the "Rabenmutter" judement in their eyes. (What sort of person sends their 4 year old, helpless child to Kindergarten hungry??)

Somehow we made it (Butter Hornchen-less) to Kindy, and then, all to soon, it was time to pick him up again.

All seemed okay for the first while. We chatted about his day (and mine) as we walked to the supermarket to do a bit of shopping. Our route took us past the bakery that sells the Butter Hornchens. Today, they even had Butter Hornchens with chocolate-dipped tips.

"I'm hungry." said the Caspi-Man...